Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz on Wednesday opened the first Air Force Global Strike Command commander’s conference, a three-day event at Barksdale AFB, La., home to the new major command that oversees the nation’s ICBMs and nuclear-capable bombers. “This is a tough business, with a margin of error near zero,” he told the participants via a video teleconference link. Schwartz said the Air Force senior leaders’ commitment to nuclear deterrence and global strike is “not a flash in the pan,” but rather will endure. Schwartz said the Air Force’s rigorous inspections of its nuclear units are “not to give people a hard time or to make life difficult, but to maintain standards.” Those standards are kept very high to maintain mission excellence. The conference features speakers on the heritage, professional development, and issues facing the bomber and missile wings. (Barksdale release)
The nominee to lead U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency touted the value of the organizations’ dual-hat command structure and urged caution toward creating a dedicated cyber military service in written testimony to Congress released Jan. 15.
